Entrepreneurs, This Is How to Behave at Networking Events

In the past ten years, I have attended hundreds of events. Some were draining and a massive waste of time. In others, I managed to crack a deal or two. I am far from being an authority on how to network, but have gathered valuable lessons from my mistakes and experiences. I present here my seven strategies for effective networking, consolidated from a decade’s worth of living, working and learning. Let me know what your failsafe networking tips are in the comments below.

Intention

Be clear about why you want to attend an event. What do you want to achieve at the end of it? It can be a specific goal like meeting a particular investor or something more common like wanting to be charged up by being in the company of doers. Knowing precisely what you are going after is a sure shot way of getting what you want. As always, literature has timeless advice to offer. Take these lines from Lewis Carroll’s, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, as an example:

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” said Alice.

That depends on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.

“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

Preparation

Be armed with your facts and figures as well as your battle gear. Do you have your business cards ready?

I recently attended an event where I was bombarded with 40 different cards. I am sad to say that most were relegated to the bin because they failed to impress. Each one was so similar to the other. If you are an app development company, how is your card telling your story? Once the noise and the bustle of the event has died down, your card is all people will have to remember you by. Spend time and resources working on strategies that will give you that extra push in events. As entrepreneurs, we have to sell all the time and what better occasion to do so than at an event with diverse people and opportunities? Let’s not forget it’s always a great conversation starter. Try it.

Attention

How are you converting leads for yourself in an event? Remember that people are more committed to their own ideas than your ideas. They, like you, are trying to achieve their objectives from the event. The smartest people, I have seen, are those who connect their own ideas into that of the person they are pitching to, selling to or meeting. How do you do that? By listening to people; actually genuinely hearing what they have to say. You will be surprised how easily you can pitch in an event where everyone is open to anything and anyone. You can simply stand out by being a good listener. It will arm you with the right ammunition of aligning your objective with that of your target prospect.

I especially admire Deep Kalra. If you talk to him in an event, you know he is talking to you and is giving you his full, undivided attention. He does not seem distracted and you know he is not faking it. He seems genuinely interested in you. If he has met you once earlier, he will remember your name and something about you. He is invested in others whom he is talking to. Naturally, the others get invested in him.

Stand out

This is easier said than done. The trick is to know that practice makes you a pro. Dale Carnegie once said, “There are always three speeches for every one you actually gave: the one you practiced, the one you gave and the one you wish you gave.” Practice your pitch, talk, conversation openers, and one-liners. Soon it will come naturally. Be assured that nobody is born with it. Know that anyone you admire for these skills, has resorted to this open secret of practice makes perfect.

Avoid

It’s easy to spot the overconfident bragster. You know the one I am talking about, the over-opinionated and always-in-a-group-people who seem to know it all. Their demeanor can be discouraging, especially if you are a lone ranger in a big party. Walk confidently with a big smile. It will get you through the worst of times.

Authenticity

After a speaker has given a talk, I see everyone flocking to the speaker with the same story, “You were brilliant on stage.” Be different. Say something like, “I loved what you said, but don’t you think the problem is actually much deeper and it requires individual answers?” Don’t try this until and unless you are very sure you have something genuinely different to add. It can get you the right attention (trust me on that) but can backfire just as easily.

Sure shot No’s

– Don’t look around while you are talking to someone. I clearly remember this entrepreneur at an AWS event who was talking to me and shaking hand and as soon as he saw a ‘big’ guy (don’t want to name here), he dropped me and ran for him. I had my hand out and felt pretty foolish. Somehow I could never respect this guy again. He reminded me of my classmate in college who chased only the rich and famous.

– Don’t speak too much. Many a times we are nervous, or we take someone’s interest as a welcome sign to go on. Please, please keep your conversation simple, crisp and to the point. Ask it out. You will be surprised how you might just get it.

– Ask shamelessly. At the most, you will get a no. But don’t let that deter you. That brings me to the first point: be clear about what you want, you might just get exactly that.

Happy networking. Tell me what worked and what did not. Waiting to hear.